Birdsfoot Farm

Dear All,

Come to the Birdsfoot - Pink House Fire Benefit
Eben-Holden Hall on the SLU campus
Thursday, March 21st, 6:30-9:30 pm

I think the music will be great and I hope you can come. I have been busy planning the Pink House Fire Benefit and talked top a lot of ex- Birdsfooters.  As sad as it is, it is good to connect again. Zack is back from Pennsylvania and Rogerio is making new house plans.

I have a SLU student Tom, who is coming twice a week to work with me and that gets me motivated to trim our veggies which get slightly hairy at this time of year.  He has stories from his year abroad in New Zealand and I love listening to him.

My house is green with onions, peppers and tomato seedlings.  Every window is packed. The
potting soil is inside so it does not freeze. I have the greenhouse seeded in lettuce, but they have not come up yet and I don't know if the cold nights hurt it or not. I wait for some warmer days and see, maybe I have to replant?

Last year
we were already planting this time.  Now we have snow and another week off from outside farming.
Stay warm, happy spring, Dulli

Dear All,
    Kira and I have been back from Germany for one week now.   I had a great time with my family and friends.  I got to reconnect with  my nephews who moved back to my sisters place after college and   
travels.  They all would like to come and visit, but have to wait 'til they have money.  Some of my college friends are planning to visit this summer and my brother and wive are hoping to visit in September.  I like to look forward to German visits.  In Schoenhagen, where my college friends have community I got to wash    hundreds of cheeses for four days. I brought home two cheeses which    we are enjoying.  Kira enjoyed her time with her great aunt Puddle and long nights of games with the whole family.
    I got offered a free cow, a pass along from the Heifer Project which gives animals to poor farmers with the condition to pass on a female to the next farm in need.  So I am determining weather I want a cow and all its work involved. My friend Jeff who lives near by from April through October said, he would take care of it during my busy summer month.  I would mean milking twice a day, making cheese once or twice a week. We at Birdsfoot eat most all organic, except for cheese that we
buy from a cheese plant in Clayton.  It is regional, but the cows are likely fed GMO corn and soy.     Intellectually I am totally into making our own good cheese, just hesitant of the work involved.  I will
keep you posted on the thought process. (KIra has been asking for a cow for a year now. I was 10 when I fell in love with cows and started farming which turned into veggies now)
    Some sad news: We had a terrible fire at the farm this past Saturday night that burnt down
our Pink House.  Rogerio who had been fixing it up for the past three years and Zack lost everything in it.  They were in the Main House when it happened, with their coats and computers.     The fire burnt the house down in less than an hour, it was roaring    with in minutes.  
Watching the house on fire was a great impression on the speed and heat of
fire, the loss of a home and love of community.
    The Pink House was built in 1974 and was used as an intern house for many years.  I lived in it when I came to Birdsfoot as an intern in 1990. It was a great part of our history , of Hippie Housing in the North Country. We are glad no one got hurt. Rogerio is figuring out what to do next. My son Seba will be giving a benefit concert for a house fund for Rogerio on Wednesday March
21. Come and hear some great jazz if you like.  I will announce where and when exactly soon.
    I hope you had a good winter.  Lots of snow and some cold I hear. I am looking forward to growing yummy veggies for you this season.
    peace, Dulli